Designation system for aircraft used by the US armed forces

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The designation system for aircraft of the US armed forces defines how aircraft of the armed forces of the United States are officially classified and designated. Some of these terms and names, such as B-52 , X-15 , Hercules , Phantom, are also well known.

The current system has been in place since 1962, when the US Department of Defense unified the various divisions of the Army , Air Force and Navy (including the Marine Corps and Coast Guard ). It is based on the naming scheme used by the US Air Force since 1948. As of September 18, 1962, a few aircraft of the Air Force, but many of the Army and Navy, were given new designations. The rules and their application are determined by the most recent version of a statement of the US armed forces (AFI 16-401 ( Ref : [1])).

Main ingredients

Main purpose
Code letter Intended use
A. A ttack (ground attack)
B. B omber
C. C argo (Transport)
E. E lectronic (electronics)
F. F ighter (fighter plane)
L. L aser
O O bservation (observation)
P P atROL (maritime patrol / EDUCATION)
R. R econnaissance (enlightenment)
S. Anti S ubmarine (submarine combat)
T T rainer
U U tility (multipurpose / support)
X E x perimental (research)

Designation scheme with examples Designation scheme

overview

An official designation for an aircraft of the US armed forces - called Mission Design Series (MDS) - consists of at least three components, here using the example F-16A : Starting from the left, there is a single code letter for the main purpose ( F for fighter aircraft ). A hyphen is followed to the right of the design number for this purpose ( 16 for the sixteenth draft of a fighter aircraft). This is followed by a letter for the variant ( A for the first variant).

A fourth identifier for the aircraft type is added if it is not a "standard aircraft". The type identification letter is immediately to the left of the hyphen, before it always comes a second identification letter for the purpose. For example, helicopters first receive an H and, for example, a C (for cargo) on the CH-53A .

These three or four main pieces of information can be supplemented by abbreviations for the status and the additional purpose . There is also the name , the block number and the manufacturer's letter abbreviation , but these do not belong to the official MDS designation.

The MDS designation is intended for internal service use, operational planning and official documents such as technical manuals. As early as possible in the development phase of a new aircraft, the respective armed forces should apply for the new designation from a special department of the Air Force Materiel Command , until it is finally assigned by a planning department at the Air Force headquarters. The designation scheme, which is logical in itself, is not always strictly followed, so that there are numerous examples of deviations from this system.

Now the F-16 is also commonly known as the Fighting Falcon , but this nickname is not part of the official name. The selection and assignment of such a name is also subject to a standardized administrative process ( see below ), but it is primarily used for informal communication and public relations .

All names that have already been assigned and are still valid are listed in a supplement to the instructions mentioned ( Lit .: [2]).

Main purpose

Every US military aircraft is assigned a single capital letter as a designation for the basic mission . There are 13 letters for this, each of which means the following:

  • A (Attack) - Detecting and attacking enemy ground and sea targets. Also for battlefield lockdown and ground combat support . Last name given: A-12 . F / A-18 is derived from F-18, the meanwhile used F / A-22 from F-22 . With the spelling with a slash, the US Navy and USAF want to emphasize the special capabilities for both purposes, but this is not compliant with the rules (see also under F ).
  • B (bomber) - bombing, last name given: B-2 .
  • C (Cargo) - transportation of cargo or troops. Last name given in the new series: C-46 . The designations C-143 and C-144 assigned in 2005 and 2006 continue the old series from before 1962, in which C-142 was the last actually assigned designation.
  • E (Electronics) - electronic inserts. This includes tasks such as: Electronic countermeasures , airborne early warning radar ( AWACS , for example the E-3 ) or airborne command and communication posts ( E-4 ). Last name given: E-10 .
  • F (Fighter) - Intercept and destroy enemy aircraft or missiles. This expressly includes multi-purpose aircraft, which, in addition to air combat, also perform ground combat support. This means that a designation like F / A-18 or F / A-22 is not only wrong, but also superfluous, F-22 says the same thing. Corresponds to the fighter plane in the broadest sense . Last name given: F-23 or F-35 . The F-35 should actually be called the F-24, but when the Department of Defense announced the X-35 as the winner of the Joint Strike Fighter competition in October 2001 , it simply adopted the model number from the X-series to the F-series - and with it it stayed then. F-117 is completely illegal.
  • K - tanker aircraft , was introduced in 1962, but never used, as all tankers were referred to as modifications of other types of aircraft, e.g. KA-6 as a tanker version of the A-6 or the KC-10 , which is based on the civilian DC-10 . The armed forces therefore dropped this code by the mid-1980s at the latest.
  • L (laser) - laser weapon system. The code letter is out of the ordinary. On the one hand, because it does not describe the main purpose, as usual, but the equipment, and on the other hand, because it was only created in 1997 specifically for the Airborne Laser . Last and only name given: L-1 .
  • O (Observation) - Observe and report on the composition and distribution of opposing forces. Last name given: O-5 .
  • P (Patrol) - land or sea-based sea reconnaissance and patrol, combined with long range and all-weather suitability. Also for fighting submarines and laying sea mines. Last name given: P-8 (the Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) of the US Navy based on the Boeing 737-800).
  • R (Reconnaissance) - photographic and electronic reconnaissance . Has not yet been properly assigned: TR-1 instead of R-1. ER-2 is a NASA name. The SR-71 continues the old series of bomber numbers from before 1962, as its design originally competed with the RS-70, a planned reconnaissance version of the B-70 .
  • S (Antisubmarine) - Searching, tracking and attacking submarines. Last name given: S-3 .
  • T (trainer) - for instruction and training purposes. Last name given: T-51 , a single-engine Cessna.
  • U (Utility) - Liaison aircraft for multipurpose and supply missions such as short-haul transport and other light missions. For machines with low loading capacity. Last name given: U-28 . U-38 is derived from the manufacturer's name Schweizer SA 2-38. The reconnaissance and espionage aircraft U-2 was initially classified as a submarine for reasons of secrecy, but was never used for purposes other than a reconnaissance or test aircraft.
  • X (Experimental) - for researching and demonstrating new technologies and concepts in the areas of design, drive and possible applications. A series production and the commissioning with the armed forces is not planned. This X series is also used by organizations such as NASA and DARPA . It is not to be confused with the X as a status designation . Last name given: X-53 . See also list of US test aircraft and X-aircraft .

Design number

An aircraft whose design differs significantly from the existing one receives its own design number as a maximum three-digit number. It is assigned within each operational category starting with "1" in ascending order, for "non-standard aircraft" within the aircraft category. On F-14 follows therefore 15 F and both are fundamentally different aircraft. For designs in the series A, B, C, E, F and O, which were named after the 1962 deadline, the sequence of numbers started again with "1". The number "13" has always been left out since then. In some cases the numbering deviates from the scheme, mostly because an already existing model number has been adopted, for example the F-35 (adopted from X-35), KC-10 (from DC-10 ) and KC-767 (from Boeing 767 ).

Since the series of numbers in some categories has already been restarted several times (including in 1911, 1925 and 1948), certain designations exist several times, for example C-32: once as the military version of the Douglas DC-2 from 1935 and the second as Boeing 757 of the USAF since 1998. This does not lead to confusion among the armed forces because the identically named types were not in service at the same time due to the time lag.

variant

In order to be able to distinguish modified or differently equipped variants (series) of a model, a single capital letter is appended to the design number without a space. The series begins with “A” and continues in alphabetical order to “Z”. The letters "I" and "O" are omitted to avoid confusion with the numbers "1" and "0". When the row has reached "Z", the next variant the design number jumps to the next higher free number and the row of letters begins again at "A". The (fictitious) B-1Z would therefore be followed by B-3A , since 2 is already occupied. The most advanced are the variants of the AH-1 (AH-1Z), the C-135 (EC-135Y) and the C-130 (MC-130W).

This rule is not always applied consistently either. On the C-5 variants A through D did not follow E , but M . Export versions of US military aircraft are often given a code letter for the recipient country, for example the E-3F for France and the F-15S for Saudi Arabia.

Since this variant letter is mandatory for official purposes, it must not be omitted even if there are no variants of a model. It has to be correctly B-2A , B-2 is not enough, although there is no B-2B at all .

Aircraft type

The US armed forces understand a “standard aircraft” to be a manned, powered aircraft with wings that takes off and lands normally and moves in the earth's atmosphere. Everything else is initially given an identification letter for the vehicle type . In addition, an identification letter must always be specified for the purpose: So not just H-46A , but CH-46A or UH-46A . The design number is incremented within the aircraft category and not the mission category.

  • D - Ground control unit for an unmanned aerial vehicle ( UAV ), so it is not an aircraft at all. Last name given: D-2.
  • G - glider, also motor glider. Last name given: G-15 .
  • H - helicopter , last name given: H-73, training helicopter for the US Navy (UH-73A) based on the Leonardo AW119 .
  • Q - Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Last name given: Q-18 .
  • S - space plane that moves outside the earth's atmosphere and can return to the earth on its own. Last name given: S-1.
  • V - VTOL / STOL . Airplanes that can take off or land vertically or with a very short taxiway. Last name given: V-23 .
  • Z - For aircraft that function on the principle lighter than air , i.e. airships and balloons . Last name given: Z-3, a Blimp Spector 50 from the American Blimp Corporation .

Additional information

If necessary, up to two further official identifiers can be added to the three or four mandatory components of the official MDS designation, for the status of an aircraft and its additional purpose.

In addition, abbreviations can be used for the manufacturer and the block number, but their use is not centrally regulated.

The name, which is assigned by the military administration but is not intended for official use, occupies a special position.

Status code letters

The status prefix indicates non-standard use of an aircraft. It is on the far left, in front of the other symbols, for example YC-14 for the prototype (Y) of the C-14 transporter. Six letters are available for the status:

  • G - Permanently grounded . The machine can be used, for example, for exercises and training on the ground, but not for tests.
  • J - Temporary special tests with modified equipment. Is used when the modifications can be reversed relatively easily.
  • N - Permanent special tests with modified equipment. Is used if the modifications can only be reversed with disproportionately high effort.
  • X - Experimental status. Should be used for aircraft in the development and test phase, in which the first flight of a new model can take place. A Status X aircraft, however, is not yet representative of the later series and often has to be modified considerably. Not to be confused with the main abbreviation X for research aircraft .
  • Y - prototype . The performance of the design can be assessed on it. Serves as a sample for series production.
  • Z - Intended for the planning phase of a design.

Additional purpose

If aircraft are intended for an additional or special purpose (modified mission) in addition to their actual task , their designation is given a further code letter to the left of the code letter for the main purpose. For example RC-135 for the reconnaissance version (R) of the C-135 . The main abbreviation can be omitted for “non-standard aircraft”, ie HH-60 and not HCH-60 . A total of 18 letters are reserved, ten of which correspond to the main purpose.

  • A (Attack) - Detecting and attacking enemy ground and sea targets. Also for battlefield lockdown and ground combat support. Example: AC-130 .
  • C (Cargo) - transportation of cargo or troops. Example: CT-43, a transport version of the US Navy's navigation trainer based on the Boeing 737 .
  • D (Director) - To steer and control drones .
  • E (Electronics) - Electronic inserts. This includes tasks such as: Electronic countermeasures, airborne early warning radar ( AWACS ), or airborne command and communication posts. Example: EA-6 .
  • F (Fighter) - Intercept and destroy enemy aircraft or missiles. Example: FA-18 . F / A-18 and (the temporarily used) F / A-22 are not correct spellings. FB-111 is incorrectly derived from F-111 .
  • H - search and rescue missions ( SAR , MedEvac ). Example: HH-60 .
  • K - air refueling . Example: KC-10 .
  • L - equipment for use in the polar regions, for example runners or special insulation. Example: LC-130 .
  • M (Multimission) - For versatile aircraft, usually for special forces. Mainly helicopters ( MH-53 ), also MC-130 . Has also been used for UAVs ( MQ-1 ) for several years .
  • O (Observation) - Reconnaissance and observation of opposing forces. Example: OA-10 .
  • P (Patrol) - land or sea-based sea reconnaissance and patrol combined with long range and all-weather suitability. Also for fighting submarines and laying sea mines.
  • Q - drone , unmanned missile, equipped for remote control or automatic control. Example: QF-4 .
  • R (Reconnaissance) - photographic and electronic reconnaissance, example: RF-5 .
  • S (Antisubmarine) - Searching, tracking and attacking submarines. Example: SP-2 .
  • T (trainer) - for instruction and training purposes, example: TE-2 .
  • U (Utility) - Multipurpose and supply missions such as short-haul transport and other light missions. For machines with low loading capacity. Example: UP-3 .
  • V (VIP) - transportation of important people such as B. the president or his deputy. Example: VC-25 (Air Force One) .
  • W (Weather) - Meteorological missions. Example: WC-130 .

Surname

In addition to their more technical designation, all aircraft of the US armed forces should also be given a name ( popular name , nickname, jewelry name, popular name), which is primarily intended for non-official purposes and media reports, for example Galaxy for the C-5 or Hawkeye for the E-2 . The following rules apply: As soon as an aircraft goes into series production, the relevant armed forces apply for a name. At least three names should be suggested that reflect the task of the vehicle and consist of a maximum of two short words. A new variant does not justify a new name, but can be approved. Manufacturers and the armed forces can reserve names for future models.

The headquarters of the headquarters of the Air Force checks the proposals for possible conflicts with trademark law and for " political correctness " before it selects and assigns a name. Globemaster has already been awarded three times . US Army helicopters are traditionally named after Indian tribes ( Apache , Chinook , Kiowa , Comanche ). In some cases, individual manufacturers also have specific names for their aircraft. For example, the US Navy fighters developed by Grumman traditionally have cat names ( F4F Wildcat , F6F Hellcat , F8F Bearcat , F-14 Tomcat ).

Block number

Since improved equipment and manufacturing methods are used again and again during series production, which often lasts for years, a block number is used to distinguish these models. The block numbers ideally increase in steps of five (01, 05, 10, 15 etc.) and appear to the right of the variant letter, separated by a hyphen, sometimes also written out "block": F-16A block 10 . Only the copies with the same block number are technically more or less the same. The remaining digits between the five levels can be used for later changes to the machines.

Manufacturer code

When the USA needed many new bombers and fighters in a short space of time during World War II, they had some types produced at the same time in several locations and by different manufacturers. The armed forces introduced two-digit letter abbreviations for the manufacturer (manufacturer code) to distinguish them . They are at the end of a type designation, separated by a hyphen. The Boeing B-29 was built by Boeing itself (B-29-1-BW, for Boeing Wichita), by Bell-Atlanta (B-29-15-BA) and by Martin (B-29-45- MO, for Martin-Omaha). Since military aircraft are mostly produced centrally in smaller numbers these days, this abbreviation has lost its meaning, but is still used occasionally for the sake of completeness.

See also

literature

  1. AFI 16-401 (I) US Forces Instruction on the System (PDF, English)
  2. Official list of current designations, as of May 12, 2004 (PDF, English; 402 kB)

Web links